ABOUT THE BOOK Michael Jackson, aptly nicknamed the King of Pop, was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958 to Joseph and Katherine Jackson. From the very beginning of his life, Michael was groomed to be a performer. His father was a guitarist, but had been forced to give it up to provide for his family. But, believing his sons had talent, he molded them into a musical group in the early 1960s (Biography, Michael Jackson Biography). Originally dubbed The Jackson Brothers, the band consisted of Michaels older brothers Jackie, Jermaine, and Tito. By the time Michael was five years old, he displayed remarkable range and depth as a singer and performer and, impressing audiences with his ability to convey complex emotions, he became the family bands new lead singer (Biography, Michael Jackson Biography). Another of Michaels older brothers, Marlon, also joined the group and in 1964, the band became known as The Jackson 5. MEET THE AUTHOR Charles Limley is a native of Colorado. After earning bachelors degrees in both English Literature and Humanities from the University of ColoradoBoulder, he entered the world of professional writing. He began his work with Hyperink during the fall of 2011. In addition to writing, Limley is an avid reader. He also loves bicycles, and has completed several long-distance bicycle tours. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Ben was Michaels first significant success as a solo artist. Recorded in 1972 as part of the soundtrack for a movie called Ben, the song was written by Don Black and Walter Scharf. The movie is about a boy who befriends a rat named Ben, and after writing the song, Black said: When it came to writing about a rat, I said, You cant write about a rat. I mean, Im not going to use words like cheese. I thought the best thing to do is write about friendship (Song Facts, Ben by Michael Jackson). Along with appearing on the soundtrack, this song was also the featured on Michaels second solo album, also titled Ben. The song hit the number one spot on Billboards Hot 100 chart and remained in that position for a week. Ben is an important song in helping Michael become a mainstay of the R&B and pop industries. CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on the Best Michael Jackson Songs + An Introduction To The King Of Pop + Song Lyrics: The Top 10 Songs + Michael Jackson Trivia + Conclusion + ...and much more The Best Michael Jackson Songs

ABOUT THE BOOK John Lennon is regarded not only as one of the most important and influential musicians of the 20th century. As the leader of The Beatles, he guided the band to a level of international superstardom that had until then never been seen before and which has only been matched by Michael Jackson. Even after the breakup of The Beatles, his solo work regularly made the charts, and he and his wife Yoko Ono remained controversial public figures. His songs ranged from the whimsical to the sincere; his musical style tore down creative barriers, and involved countless musical and studio innovations. Songs like Imagine carried anti-war messages that even today remain deeply moving and inspiring, but also which present a radical challenge to societys current status quo. MEET THE AUTHOR Brien Southward grew up close to the headquarters of the Pawnee tribe in Pawnee, Oklahoma. He wrote his first book-length works in high school and immediately thereafter began writing professionally during college and after. He holds a double-BA in Linguistics & German Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and has conducted research in linguistics and literary criticism. His other interests include playing and composing music, computers/programming, and writing fiction. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Imagine is how radical its message is below the surface. It's an extraordinarily well-respected pop song, loved by many people who would not agree with the songs anti-government, socialist, and anti-religious message, but who love its sense of optimism and its uplifting musical quality. Indeed, its worth remembering that in the very first line of the song John asks his listeners to imagine theres no heaven, and a few stanzas later adds imagine no possessions / I wonder if you can. Such statements must surely terrify certain people of influence who have a very strong personal interest in the concepts of heaven and property. CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on the Best John Lennon Songs: Lyrics and Analysis + Introduction + John Lennon: Selected Lyrics + Conclusion + Sources and Additional Reading The Best John Lennon Songs: Lyrics and Analysis

ABOUT THE BOOK Bryan Adams got into the music business as a young teenager and he has been performing around the world ever since. Over 35 years later, Adams has 10 studio albums, five live albums, five compilation albums, and two movie soundtracks to his credit. His songs have also been featured in films such as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Don Juan DeMarco. Adams is also a social activist and an accomplished photographer, working with top magazines and fashion designers while still continuing his music career. Adams got into music at a young age, dropping out of high school to pursue his dream of becoming a singer and guitar player. A dishwashing job allowed him to afford his first guitar and his upstart career took a turn for the better when he met Jim Vallance in 1978. Vallance had been a successful drummer but was now looking to start a solo career. Recognizing Adams’ talent, Vallance took the younger man under his wing and the two started writing songs together. Vallance used his connections to get them into the studio and Adams would then sing the lyrics for their songs. They quickly got signed to a record deal later that year. The duo started out writing and recording songs that were included in other artists’ albums but Adams then released a solo album worldwide in 1980, though it was not distributed in the United States. He followed that album up with a second in 1981 that did see a U.S. release. His third album Cuts Like a Knife came out in 1983 and propelled Adams into international stardom, thanks in part to the success of lead single Straight From the Heart. Adams followed the album up with Reckless in 1984 and the record became his all-time best seller. Summer of ‘69 and Heaven were two of the main singles off the album and helped push sales to over 5 million in the United States. His popularity carried into the 90s with multiple albums landing on the Billboard charts both internationally and domestically, though his albums tended to sell better in the U.K. and Canada compared to the United States. (Everything I Do) I Do For You was an international hit single that Adams wrote and performed as the theme song to the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Several compilation and “Best-Of” albums also came out throughout the decade as Adams continued to tour worldwide in support of his studio releases. Adams became more involved in film soundtracks as the new millenium began, writing and recording music for films such as Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, The Guardian, and Bobby. More studio albums followed, though sales were lower than what they had been during his peak in the 80s. He continues to tour, record music and run his charity foundation that focuses on providing educational opportunities for children around the world. Adams has proven himself a special artist in part because of his versatility. He is known for rock anthems such as Summer of ‘69 while also associated with sentimental ballads such as Please Forgive Me. Add in his work in feature film scores and his photography success and it’s easy to see why Adams’ work has endured for decades... Buy the book to continue reading! Follow @hyperink on Twitter! Visit us at www.facebook.com/hyperink! Go to www.hyperink.com to join our newsletter and get awesome freebies! CHAPTER OUTLINE Background and Basics + About the Artist Discussion and Analysis + Song Lyrics: Bryan Adams' Top 10 Songs Key Information + Trivia About Bryan Adams + Conclusion References + Sources + Additional Reading Quicklet on the Best Bryan Adams Songs: Lyrics and Analysis

When 16 year old Robyn Rihanna Fenty first moved to the United States to pursue a career in music, there was no indication that she would become anything other than another flash-in-the-pan, sub-Beyonce pop starlet. Born and raised in a working class area of Saint Michael parish in south-west Barbados, Rihanna was the eldest daughter of Monica Braithwaite and Ronald Fenty. Her father struggled with addictions to crack cocaine and alcohol, leading to her parents’ divorce when Rihanna was 14, after which she maintained contact with her father, but continued living with her mother and two younger brothers, Rorrey and Rajad. Like many teenage girls, she formed a singing group with friends and dreamt of becoming a pop star. However, unlike many teenage girls, Rihanna also benefitted from good connections.When she discovered two US record executives were holidaying on her home island, an audition for her group was arranged by mutual friends. History has forgotten the other two members of Rihanna’s singing group, but in Miss Fenty,record execs Carl Sturken and Eric Rogers saw something marketable. Jay Z did too. He signed her to Def Jam during his brief tenure as president allowing for the release of two albums of reggae-tinged R&B that would make her name. The caribbean influences in Rihanna’s early releases made her a refreshing novelty for R&B fans, but if that was all she had to offer, no doubt by now “Rihanna” would be just another footnote in pop history, alongside Ashanti, Amerie, or Christina Milian (remember them?). But Rihanna had something else. Perhaps inspired by her oft-cited idol Madonna, she has demonstrated an ability to shapeshift in a way that is always uncannily ahead of the trend.

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Songs of the West" (Folk Songs of Devon & Cornwall Collected from the Mouths of the People) by S. Baring-Gould, H. Fleetwood Sheppard, F. W. Bussell. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

365 Day Daily Devotional